Cinder Toffee
by One-Winged-Chaos
Summary: Deidara found his life spiralling down like a plane with no engines. Strange how one boy can make a difference. SasoriXDeidara. Rating may change later... Warning for Violence and bad language.
1. Friends

**Wrote this first chapter for my English coursework last month, and got an A* for it. One of the few pieces of writing I did that I actually like :D**

**  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto...**

**~ SasoDei ~**

**~ Cinder Toffee ~**

A low rumble of thunder echoed through the heavily clouded sky.

A blonde boy lingered on a street corner as he hitched his bag back onto his shoulder, glanced at the sky, and yanked the soft black hood up onto a head of velvety blonde hair, trailing halfway down his back. Head down, he began walking again, fast paced steps splashing through puddles as the rain lazily began falling from the sky again. A bland expression lay on the boys face, tired, empty eyes failing to pick out the details of his surroundings. His too long black jeans dragged on the floor, picking up dirt and water as they went, slowly soaking through to his legs. The boys name was Deidara. He wouldn't say he was popular, but most of the time he wouldn't say anything at all. He was a quiet, reclusive boy who much preferred his own company to that of another's. Or at least, to those at school. Which was fortunate, as the other's at school preferred their own company to his. His thoughts wandering to overdue coursework and his latest art piece, he didn't need to pay attention as he followed the overly familiar route. Left, then right, across the road, left at the traffic lights, to the end of the road and over the pedestrian crossing. And there it was. What most people referred to in tones of disgust, but what he fondly called 'a sanctuary'. The old stone building towered above him; gargoyles perched precariously on the edge of the roof, leering down at him. He paid them no notice, but quickened his step as he strode confidently inside. The warmth hit him as soon as he opened the door, the smell of old books comforting to the small boy. He paused to pull his hood down and glance at the soaring Gothic ceiling high above his head, then shut the door soundlessly behind him and nodded at the woman behind the desk. She shook her blue hair out of her eyes and gave him the usual charming smile.

"Good to see you again, Dei."

"And you, Konan."

He dipped his head politely as his steps began again, softly across the thick carpet. Weaving his way through the bookcases, the proceeding up a staircase, and then another to the highest level in the library. He smiled softly as he reached his favourite corner and found it empty. In one swift movement he removed his thick black hoodie – revealing his toned stomach for a moment – and stuffed it into his bag as he took a seat. His soft red t-shirt helped him blend into the chair and therefore, made him harder to see to anyone passing. Just how he liked it. His bag on the floor, his hand automatically reaching out for the desired volume of the desired book, he settled back in his chair and was lost.

However, lost as he was, he was soon rudely interrupted as someone sat down opposite him. His starry sapphire eyes flicked up for a moment, and his gaze froze as he unfortunately realised he recognised the smirking teen now sat opposite him. Deep crimson pools stared apathetically back into his own nervous eyes. There was silence as the raven headed newcomer continued to glower over at the smaller teen. He was dressed as he usually was, dark jeans, dark shirt, heavy biker boots, and a leather jacket adorned with several chains, spikes and studs. The light glinted off his thick rimmed glasses as he leaned forward slowly.

"What a coincidence I'd find you here, Dei-da-ra."

There was a mocking tone in his voice as he stretched out the blonde's name. The blonde was lost as to what he should do. He could ignore the teen (although that would probably result in him getting hurt), or he could try and think of something to say. Nothing came to mind. The awkward silence was temporarily broken by a low rumble of thunder.

"Not going to say anything? You know, that's a little rude."

"Sorry, Itachi."

"Hm, and after I make the effort to come over here and talk to you. Usually, I'd hit you for that, but since I'm a generous person I suppose I can let you off…This time."

The blonde nodded and lowered his eyes. A frown momentarily found it's way onto the older teens face, and he quickly reached forward and snatched the blonde's chin, yanking his face upwards.

"Look at me when I speak to you!"

"HEY!"

The two boys looked up to come face to face with the newcomer; a boy in the year above, with shocking ruby red hair and soft chocolate brown eyes. Sasori. Deidara let out a soft sigh of relief at the older boy's appearance, seeing as he was - quite literally – the only person in the entire school who paid him any attention. Good attention that is.

"Beat it, Weasel."

Itachi looked up for a moment, considered his options, before standing up gracefully. He swept the long curtain of onyx hair out of his eyes and crossed his arms. The two boys began to stare each other down, the awkward silence settling once again. Deidara closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, tucking his knees up under his chin and sighing to himself. The silence was making him uneasy. It continued this way for a few minutes, until at last, the redhead spoke again.

"If you touch him again, I'll make you regret the day you were born. Now, beat it."

The raven haired boy huffed and unfolded his arms, before stalking haughtily out of the corner they were tucked in and down the stairs. Sasori stared after him for a moment before turning and walking slowly towards the blonde. He paused, and laid his hand on the blondes shoulder for a moment, prompting the younger boy to lift his head cautiously, one lone tear sliding down his porcelain face. Deidara was met with a reassuring smile, and a soft hand brushing the tear away. The crimson haired teen looked down at him for a moment, before seating himself in the same plush chair as his friend, and carefully pulling him into his lap. Sasori wrapped his arms around Deidara's small frame and began tenderly stroking his hair.

"I've told you before, if he bothers you, come and tell me and I'll stop it."

"…Sorry."

"You don't have to apologise Dei, just let me help you."

A timid nod was his only reply, as the blonde nestled his head in Sasori's shoulder. The silence between the two fell once more, the only sound coming from the bottom floor, Konan's voice calling out as she wished people "good night". It was getting late, the blanket of darkness beginning to fall outside, streetlights twinkling as guiding beacons in the shadowy streets, indistinguishable figures trudging along in the murky gloom. Sasori could feel the blonde's chest moving slightly with calm, rhythmic breathing, his breath tickling the redhead's neck. At a guess, he was asleep.

The minutes ticked by in a comfortable silence, Sasori's eyes closed as he continued to fondly stroke his friends hair. He heard the front doors slam, and lock. Konan had probably forgotten they were there, although she hadn't left yet. She followed the same routine every night; close the front doors, finish her work at the computer and leave through the back door. If they were going to leave tonight, they had to catch her before she left. Sasori pulled himself up from his comfortable position, and began to lightly shake Deidara, calling his name softly. The blonde looked up, bleary eyed, and shook his head softly, a clear sign of 'just let me sleep'. The redhead sighed softly to himself and picked Deidara up gently, before lifting his bag from the floor and weaving his way through bookshelves towards the grand staircase, the only sounds to accompany him were that of his own footsteps, and the frantic tapping of the keyboard downstairs. The lights went out above him, and the blonde stirred in his arms, mumbled something incoherent, and grasped Sasori's shirt tightly in his fist. He quickened his step. And stopped. Cautiously sniffed the air. The smell stinging his nostrils was unmistakeable: burning. He hesitated to look over the banister to the ground floor, but saw the flickering on the opposite wall, and a sickening feeling hit his stomach like a punch. Konan was nowhere to be seen, sending a million possibilities running through his head. Had she started it? If she hadn't, who had? Did she get out okay? Sasori shook his head roughly, and turned to make his way back up the stairs, but froze. The shadows moved against the dim light filtering in through the high windows. Unmistakeably a person, making heir way out. Unfortunately, a recognisable person. Unmistakeably, Itachi. Sasori watched in horror, as he saw the raven haired arsonist making his way down the adjacent, smaller staircase, down, down to the ground floor. Before Sasori realised it, he was running. Flying down the stairs at breakneck speed, desperate to reach their only other way out before Itachi did. But he was too late. He heard the door slam shut, and the key turn in the lock.

The redhead cursed loudly, and turned to see the damage let behind. The bookcases were tipped over, books and papers strewn across the floor, all ablaze.

"It's hot..."

He looked down at the blonde cradled in his arms, still clutching his shirt, nuzzling his head into his chest.

"...I know."

He had to make some form of a decision, and fast. The fire was spreading quickly. Going on his first instinct, he headed up. The logical side of his brain was trying to tell him that, seeing as heat and smoke rise, this was a stupid idea, but the fear and panic was taking over, so up he went. Returning to the corner he had spent his evening in, he set the blonde down in a chair and began frantically shaking him. In seconds, Deidara was awake, wide eyed and confused.

"Sasori? What's..."

"The library is on fire, Dei, we have to get out, now!"

The blondes face paled for a second, and he stared his friend dead in the eye, panicked.

"The doors?"

"Locked."

"Konan?"

"Gone"

"Can you kick the doors open?"

Sasori was mentally kicking himself.

"I didn't think of that...the whole bottom floor could be gone by now...come on you know this library like the back of your hand, there must be some way out!"

"...Did you call the fire brigade?"

"I can't, my battery went dead at school."

He noticed Deidara was shaking, and wrapped his arms around him tightly.

"Think Dei..."

There was silence.

"Dei?"

"The windows! The building next to us has a flat roof, if we can climb on the bookshelves and out the window, we'll be okay!"

The redhead didn't even bother to reply. He grabbed hold of Deidara's arm and roughly yanked him to his feet.

"Climb. But be careful."

The blonde nodded, and quickly scrambled up the front of the shelves, dislodging several books as he went. When he reached the top, he began frantically tugging at the window, waiting for Sasori to join him. He ducked his head as he began to cough violently, and felt a pair of arms wrap around him and force the small window open.

"Go on, get through."

Deidara put his foot on Sasori's bent leg to help give him some lift, and shakily climbed up onto the sill. And slipped. Thankfully, the drop below wasn't too far, but he still landed crooked on his leg. He heard the snap before he felt it.

Sasori looked down for a moment at his friend, the shrill scream of pain shocking him to a standstill, before fear got the better of him, and he jumped.

* * *

**EDIT!: After some advice (which proved to be a brilliant idea and I wish I'd thought of it) I took out the ending scene. So thanks to BrandNewOrange for that :D But obviously, I wrote this for coursework, and I had to end it, I couldn't just leave it hanging.**

**I hate making Itachi the bad guy... I love him really!**

**I wasn't intending on continuing this, I randomly decided to about five minutes ago, so I don't really know where i'm going with it yet. Unprofessional, I know...**

**I'm working on two more SasoDei, but progress will be slow cause of school work.**

**Review? Please?**


	2. With Benefits

**Chapter TWO! Once again, thanks to BrandNewOrange for inspiring me to change the last chapter :D**

**DISCLAIMER: NO OWNEY!**

**~ Cinder Toffee ~**

**~Chapter Two ~**

**~ "With Benefits" ~**

It was dark. He could feel something soft under his fingers, smooth. Warm. Something light lay on top of him, he felt it when he moved. He was comfortable, and warm. Gradually, he became aware of sounds in the background. Quiet talking, clattering, beeping. Grudgingly, he cracked his eyes open. The room he was in was blindingly white, a window and a chair to his left, an empty bed opposite, a small table on his right. He looked down at himself, and suddenly (finally) realised that he too was lying in a bed.

"Sasori!"

His eyes turned to the source of the sound, and found Deidara lay in a bed next to him, his leg in a cast.

"You've been asleep ages, how are you feeling, un?"

The confused look he received was a sufficient answer.

"You hit your head when you jumped, knocked you out, un. I broke my leg, obviously. They weren't sure if you'd have memory loss or not… you don't do you? Do you still remember me?!"

"Deidara…stop talking."

The blissful silence that followed lasted for all of two seconds.

"So...you are okay, right, un?"

"A little confused, headache and feeling sick but otherwise okay."

"Good, yeah."

Sasori sat up slowly, rubbing his temples gently. There was quiet for a while. Not an awkward, "somebody say something" silence, but a comfortable silence. Sasori once again glanced over at the blonde, who had relaxed back on his pillows and closed his eyes, the redhead only now noticing the open book clutched in his pale hands. Conveniently deciding to ignore the pain he was feeling, Sasori heaved himself out of bed and gently padded across to Deidara, gently sitting down on the edge of his bed and wrapping his arms around the fragile blonde. Deidara cracked open one eye, crystalline orb staring into Sasori's own chocolate brown.

"And how are_ you_ feeling, Dei?"

"Tired. And my leg is killing me, un. But, I don't really remember what happened. Just you waking me up in a panic, un."

"The building we were in was on fire. How did you expect me to react?"

"You're supposed to stay calm in an emergency, un."

"Yeah, well, I don't do things that way."

"So...what did happen?"

"I'm not sure exactly, I went to leave, carrying you because you wouldn't wake up, lazy git -"

"Hey I was tired!"

"Either way, I saw the bottom floor on fire, no Konan, went back upstairs and saw Itachi making a dash for it. He went down to the bottom, out the back door and locked it behind him. It all points to him."

"The back door? You mean the one near Konan's desk, next to all the Manga, yeah?."

"Yeah."

"The one that locks automatically when you shut it?"

"Yeah that one."

"And, if the fire was on the bottom floor, and Itachi was on the top, how could he have started it, un?"

"I don't know, maybe he threw something down there that was on fire, or maybe he ran back up to the top floor to make himself look innocent."

"Sasori, you're finding excuses."

"Why are you defending him after all he's done?!"

"I'm not! I'm just saying you shouldn't go around accusing people when you don't know what happened, un!"

"You know, you could get a lot of people in trouble doing that, Sasori."

Both boys looked towards the door, to find the subject of their accusation leaning on the wall, his ankle bandaged and a pair of crutches clutched in his hand.

"Who else is it likely to be, weasel"

"There were plenty of people in that library besides me."

"After it closed?"

"_You _were in there after it closed. You're as much a suspect as me."

"Yeah, but we both know that neither of us did it."

"As I know that I didn't do it. Who else did you see in the library after Konan closed?"

"Just you."

"Konan?"

"For a while."

The Uchiha slipped his arms into his crutches and hobbled painfully over to the blondes bed, sitting down on the opposite side to Sasori. Deidara leaned in to the redhead, who wrapped an arm protectively around him.

"It seems to me, that whoever started that fire was trying to harm either you, me or Konan. Is there anyone else you think might want you hurt?"

"Only you."

"Just because I have admittedly been bullying blondie here for a while doesn't mean I would try to kill the two of you."

"What about you, Itachi san? Is there anyone who would want you dead, un?"

The raven haired teen was quiet for a second, his face grave.

"One name immediately springs to mind, I imagine he would want to hurt you too, Sasori."

"Oh?"

"I heard yesterday that an old 'friend' is in town."

The redhead closed his eyes in thought, and after a few minutes opened in surprise and looked the Uchiha dead in the eye.

"You don't mean..."

"Orochimaru? I'm afraid so."

"But, he wouldn't... would he?"

"Of course he would. I've informed the others."

"You didn't tell me!"

"You were yelling at me."

"Of course I was yelling at you, you were threatening my best friend!"

"You're yelling now, un!"

The two teens on the brink of another argument paused to look at the usually timid blonde before settling back to their previous positions, as Itachi pushed his glasses up his nose and Sasori wrapped his arms around the blonde once more.

"I'd keep an eye on him, Sasori. If Orochimaru finds out you two are so close, he could use him to get to you."

"Yeah...I will."

"What happened to your leg, Itachi san, un?"

"Oh, I fell down the back stairs of the library. I caught the door and tripped."

"Does Pein know we're in the hospital?"

"I haven't had chance to ring him. I'll go do it now."

"No, it's okay, I'll go. You rest your ankle."

Now, you might think leaving Itachi alone in a room with Deidara was a bad idea, but that is not the case. After some careful thought, Sasori had decided that leaving the two alone now would bring out the best between them. As usual, he was right.

"Deidara."

"Hm?"

"I understand that this is not enough, but I apologise for all I've done to you."

"It's okay, Itachi san."

"No, it's not. I just, don't deal with my emotions well and usually take them out on everyone else. You, for example. I'll make it up to you."

"I don't mind. You've never actually hurt me, just bitched at me. Everyone does, I can deal with it, un. But, are you and Sasori friends? You seem to know each other pretty well, and you know the same people."

"We just hang around in the same group. We don't always see eye to eye, but I would class him as a close friend. Although, not so much since I started taking everything out on you. He knows I'd never actually hurt you though."

"No?"

"No, I only hit Hidan."

"True, he does." The redhead was leaning on the door frame, a smug look on his face. "All he needs is a good slap sometimes and he'll back off."

"It's strange, Sasori. You've changed so quickly...You were acting like you hated him earlier, un."

"Sometimes I do. I can't stand people hurting you, Dei."

"You seriously thought I would try to kill you two? You actually think I would go around committing arson?"

"When you're in a mood like that, who knows?"

"Yeah, I'd had a pretty rough day, I guess. Sasuke, you know..." He began to rub the back of his neck awkwardly "I guess I did go a bit far..."

"It's okay, un. I've had worse."

"I called Pein, he's on his way down."

"Just Pein?"

"Yes thankfully. I couldn't deal with Hidan and Kisame right now."

"Could be worse. Could bring Tobi..."

The two grimaced to themselves, and Sasori sat back down next to Deidara.

"Uh, Sasori...Could I...maybe..."

"Yes?"

"Go elsewhere, un. Me and Pein don't exactly see eye to eye..."

"Don't worry, i'm here."

A soft smile twitched back onto the blondes face, and leaned back into his friends embrace, closing his eyes. Sasori smiled to himself, and once again found his hands entwined in the blondes soft locks. Cautiously, he leaned forward and placed a delicate kiss on the blondes forehead. There was a tense moment, before the blonde nuzzled his face into Sasori's neck and wrapped his arms tightly around his waist. The trio were silent for a while, content, Deidara almost falling asleep nestled in the warmth of Sasori's embrace. The ticking of the clock on the wall seemed amplified in the silence, but was almost comforting to the boy's, as the darkness began to drop outside and the harsh clinical lights flickered into life above them. Sasori's eyes were slowly beginning to drift shut, suddenly exhausted, he found he had only the strength to wrap his arms tighter around the blonde, hair tickling his nose.

The was an awkward cough from the doorway. Sasori frowned and lazily cracked open one eye, finding Pein standing in the doorway, a sly smile on his face.

"So, what's cracking off?"

* * *

**UGH THIS CHAPTER IS SO BADLY WRITTEN!!! It's more of a filler the next one will be better I PROMISE!!! However, I don't know when it will arrive due to my GCSE's starting in a few weeks – but I'll do my best :D In fact... it's probably going to be a while... sorry :(**

**Yes, the library near me has Manga. It has Naruto and that makes me very happy!**

**And I know, dramatic change in character, that was the only part I really had planned from the beginning. Itachi goes a bit psycho sometimes. Bad childhood, you know. **


	3. Cinder Lane

**One again, I am SO SORRY for the suckiness of the last chapter! I promise it will get better from now on!**

**MAJOR thanks to BrandNewOrange for Beta-ing this chappy :D**

**DISCLAIMER: Me own? NO!**

**~ Cinder Toffee ~**

**~Chapter Three ~**

**~ "Cinder Lane" ~**

Deidara had somehow found himself in Pein's living room, squashed onto a sofa that was clearly meant for only three people, but was somehow housing five. Sasori was to his right, and Kisame precariously balanced on the arm of the sofa on his left. Sasori had one arm round his shoulder in an attempt to comfort the blonde, as it was clear by his stiff, awkward posture that the venomous glares he was receiving were making him uncomfortable. During his visit to the hospital, Pein had thought for a while and had eventually come to the conclusion that Deidara would be a welcome and valued addition to his group of friends (Also known as a gang of troublemakers, but it depends on who you talk to) known as the Akatsuki.

It was clear from the glares that the others thought him somewhat wrong, but as the blonde was already involved it was most likely he may be targeted. In which case it was most likely he could do with their help, or at least their help improving his fighting skills. He was quite pleased to say that his leg had nearly healed, although he couldn't walk on it painlessly. Thankfully for him, Sasori was always on hand to help.

Of all the people in the room, Deidara had found that Kakuzu seemed to like him the least. Everyone else looked away when he looked back at them, but Kakuzu continued to stare him dead in the eye the entire time, and that made him immensely uneasy. Deidara squirmed uncomfortably next to Sasori, and found himself shifting closer. He had been pleasantly surprised by Kisame.

From looking at the boy at school, he'd only been glad he'd never been hit by the boy. He was huge in build, with impressive muscles and incredible strength. However, as Deidara had offhandedly dropped a comment about his favourite comedy show to Sasori, he had somehow been drawn into an animated conversation about said subject with the blue skinned boy – which he had since learned was an unfortunate skin condition. After their conversation, they had fallen quiet again, save for every now and then one boy posing a random question to the other. For example, Kisame's latest question being "Have you ever been skiing?"

Deidara was unable to give his answer however, as at that point Pein returned to the room and pressed a steaming mug of herbal tea into the blonde's hand. Deidara smiled and thanked him quietly, cautiously taking a sip, Sasori's arm still draped around his shoulder.

"Now then," Pein began, taking a seat on the floor in front of the fireplace, "Kakuzu, Itachi, what have you got for me?"

Kakuzu broke his gaze from the nervous blonde for a second to turn his attention to the flame haired teen.

"He's been hard to keep track of, but we've often seen him meeting with that boy, Kabuto, as well as some people we haven't seen before. Two boys and a girl, usually."

"We've often heard them refer to themselves as Hebi, if that's any help," Itachi added from his place in between Hidan and Sasori on the sofa.

"Nothing else?" Pein queried with a frown.

"Well, from what I've heard Orochimaru _was_ responsible for the fire at the library, and since then he's also vandalised several other buildings around the city. We also heard him mention something about a school, but we don't know to which school he was referring," Itachi's face was impassive as always.

"I don't get it. What's he trying to fucking achieve anyway?"

"If we knew that, Hidan, we wouldn't be asking, would we?"

"Alright, chill your beans, Kuzu!"

Pein cleared his throat loudly to break up the brewing argument.

"From the incident with the library, it seemed as if he was trying to hurt us specifically, however, since he has been vandalising other establishments when we weren't present, I believe his motives may be different. What they are doing exactly though I can't tell. You two keep doing some digging, see what else you can find out for me."

There was no chance to answer, as a loud knocking on the door reverberated through the house. Pein excused himself and disappeared into the hallway.

"Hey Deidara! Have you ever heard of Gunther Von Hagens?" Kisame posed his question with a broad grin, eyes momentarily wild with excitement. Deidara's own grin appeared at the mentioning of the famous plasticiser.

"Talk about a random question! I think he's fantastic, yeah!"

"Pfft, He's fucking awesome! I reckon he's a secret Jashinist, and they're actually remnants of his rituals!"

The puzzled/ disgusted looks he received were enough to reduce the teen to an irritated silence. Pein returned to the room with a sheepish look on his face, and Deidara nearly dropped his tea as Konan walked in behind him.

"Konan-chan, un! I didn't know you knew Pein-san!" Deidara's face resembled pure shock for a moment, before settling into a sly grin. The guilty look the pair exchanged was enough to inform every person in the room that they were in a relationship.

"Anyway..." Pein began, taking Konan's hand in his own "It's late, hadn't you all better go?"

"Huh, a polite way of saying 'get out we want to fuck!'" Hidan stood with a smug smile on his face "Later, love-birds!"

Deidara awkwardly stood with the aid of Sasori, who helped him limp of the room. He called a goodbye over his shoulder, which was answered only by Kisame and Itachi, whilst he patiently waited for Sasori to put on his coat and scarf. Deidara hadn't brought one, as he hadn't intended to stay so late, and it was warm when he left his house. He bade goodnight to Konan and Pein as Sasori held the door open for him, and limped out into the cold of the night. Sasori linked arms with him and slowly guided him down the road.

"it's really nice of you to help me, un,"

Sasori turned and smiled of him warmly.

"As if I'd just leave you... You're quite cold, you know." He added with a frown. He promptly removed his long trench coat and wrapped it around the blonde's shivering form.

"Thankyou."

The pair continued to walk in silence, occasionally dropping a comment on trivial things such as the stars, and the weather, and Deidara repeated some of Kisame's earlier questions. When they reached Deidara's house – which wasn't too far from Pein's – Deidara fumbled with his keys in the dark. Sasori's arm was still wrapped around his waist, and when he finally kicked the door open he nearly fell into the dark depths of his hallway. He turned with a soft smile on his face and invited Sasori inside.

"I'm sorry Dei, but I've still got to finish my coursework. And when I say finish, I mean I haven't even started. I'll see you on Monday though, okay?"

"Okay sure!"

Before Sasori realised what he was doing, he found his body was moving on his own, his actions seeming to slow. His hand reaching out to gently cup the soft skin of the blonde's cheek, leaning in slowly, the blonde's sapphire eyes sparkling in the moonlight. Without thinking, he pressed his lips softly onto the blonde's, and was immediately addicted. The feel of the blonde's sweet lips pressing on his own, the nervous flutter of his heart, the butterflies in his stomach, and the smile he found working it's way onto his face. But then it clicked. He. Just. Kissed. Deidara. Pulling away, he turned, muttered a hasty goodbye, and ran.

It wasn't until he was two streets away he realised; the blonde had kissed him back.

* * *

As he walked, Sasori began to regret leaving his coat with his blonde friend. If they were still friends. There was an annoying nagging feeling in his stomach that said the blonde would never speak to him again. However, the another annoying nagging feeling was telling him that he had enjoyed it, he _knew _he enjoyed, and posed the question to himself – did he want to be more than friends?

After some consideration, Sasori concluded that yes, he did.

Would he ever admit it? No.

As he paused to gaze up at the towering, dark buildings surrounding him, he also regretted storming off in a random direction. Looking around, he realised – despite living here all his life - he had absolutely no idea where he was. The street light above him flickered and dimmed, the light reflecting back from a puddle on the floor, before it was extinguished. Glancing over his shoulder, unnerved, he quickened his step, a battered street sign momentarily catching his eye as he passed; Cinder Lane.

"Never heard of it..." Sasori murmured to himself, wrapping his arms around his shivering frame. Taking a chance and turning right, hoping to double back on himself and end up somewhere familiar, he cursed inwardly as he found himself standing in a poorly lit alleyway. As he went to turn back, he nearly cursed again when he noticed two figures standing in a shadowy doorway about five metres away.

"Hey!" The voice came from the shadows "I know him, he's one of the Akatsuki's little lapdogs!"

The figure who had spoken was the first to step forward, a tall male with choppy silver hair and an unnerving smile. He heard a snort from the other figure, and stepping forward, he came face to face with a sour faced woman. She had long cerise hair and thick rimmed glasses perched high on her upturned nose.

"What do you reckon..." the girl drawled "...should we?"

"Oh, we should." A sly smile worked it's way onto his face, and before the redhead realised it, he found himself on his back, gasping for air, the boys fist having been slammed into his stomach.

Collecting his senses quickly, Sasori rolled onto his side, narrowly avoiding a foot in his face. Falling back onto his back, he rolled onto his shoulders and flipped himself forwards through the air, his foot connecting with his opponents face. There was a satisfying crunch as the beasts nose shattered. The woman's fist whizzed past his nose; he leant back, nearly overbalanced. A swift kick to his back and he staggered forward, face smashing into the wall. He turned at the sound of running feet and the girl's fist caught him full in the face, the back of his head colliding with the wall again. He ducked as it came towards him again, a yell of pain as her knuckles smashed into the brick. He swung his legs round and the woman fell to the ground, her head cracking against the floor. The redhead rose to his feet and swung a misguided punch at the man, missed, tripped, regained his balance. The man bent to the floor and grasped a rusty piece of piping. Swinging wildly at Sasori, he ducked the first blow, but not the second. The piping smashed into the side of his head, stunned him, and threw him against the wall.

Cornered and disorientated, there was nothing he could do but take the punches. Over and over, they collided with his face and body, before the barrage ceased finally and he collapsed to the floor, face down in the puddle. Eyes screwed shut, he felt a presence by his head, and a voice in his ear;

"You better watch your back, lapdog. We won't stay quiet forever."

There was a quiet chuckle in the background, and he heard the footsteps retreating splashing through puddles, a metallic clang as a bin was kicked. Then nothing.

* * *

Sasori wasn't sure exactly how long he lay there before he could will himself to force his body from the cold floor. It was difficult, but he managed it, using the wall for support. Slowly, he managed to limp off, retracing his steps from his earlier journey. It took twice as long as usual, but he couldn't help a smile of relief working his way onto his face as he found himself on a familiar street. Deidara's street.

Nervously, he staggered up to the blonde's door, and struggled to lift his fist to knock almost silently. Willing himself on, he began to pound desperately on the door, not stopping until it was swung open, an angry blonde filling the doorway.

"DO YOU NOT REALISE WHAT..." His voice dropped and a look of surprise came onto his face "Sasori? It's nearly midnight, what are you doing here, hm?" He paused as he noted the blood, the bruises, the dejected look. "What the hell happened to you?"

He took his friend gently by the arm and led him inside the house, kicking the door shut as he went. He led Sasori into the kitchen and pushed him into a chair, leaving him momentarily to get his first aid kit. He knelt down in front of the redhead and gently began to clean the blood off his face.

"Hmm, there's no real damage, un. You should be okay. You wanna tell me what happened?" He raised a slender eyebrow at his friends stony face. "Sasori?"

The redhead finally raised his eyes to meet the blonde. "I...need to lie down." The whisper was barely heard.

Deidara sighed to himself and helped Sasori over to the sofa, pushing him back against the cushions.

"I'll be right back, un."

Sasori didn't respond, merely sat and stared ahead of him. He heard the soft footsteps as the blonde padded across the carpet, then thundered up the stairs. The dazed chocolate eyes travelled lazily over the scene in front of him, the details not going in. His eyes lingered on a framed photograph on the table in front of him; a tall blonde woman holding a small blonde child, a proud looking brunette man standing behind them. He closed his eye for a moment and took in a deep shuddering breath. He heard the blondes loud footsteps down the stairs again, and within moments he was crouching in front of him, a concerned look adorning his delicate face.

Deidara reached forward and gently brushed his hand over Sasori's cheek, before moving his hands down and gently pulling the redheads shirt over his head. He began to carefully dress his friend in a plain wife beater, taking care around his chest, where a large bruise was beginning to form. He pressed a soft pair of pyjama bottoms into his friends hands, and closed his hands around them both.

"Can you put these on, hm?"

Sasori didn't move. Deidara sighed, and stood his friend up, pulling him forward to lean on the blonde's shoulders as he helped him change, the redhead practically falling asleep. Deidara sat him down delicately and picked up the pillows from where they'd been discarded on the floor. He removed the cushions and replaced them with the pillows, pushing Sasori back to lie down on them, and draping a thick quilt over him. A soft smile played on his face as the redhead's eyes closed. Hesitantly, he leant forward and brushed the red curtain of hair from in his eyes, the pained look on his friends face tugging at his heart. Deidara, paused before leaning forward and kissing him delicately on the cheek.

"Sleep well, my love."

Switching off the light, he made his way up to bed.

He didn't know Sasori had heard him.

Lying in the dark, Sasori made his decision. Slowly and painfully, he forced himself from the warmth and comfort of his makeshift bed, and wandered blindly up the stairs, to the blonde's room. Opening the door silently, he gazed in on the restless blonde, wrapped in the quilt, his golden locks sticking out in all directions. Padding silently across the room, Sasori peeled back the covers and dropped heavily into the bed, leaning into his blonde. His blonde. That sounded right. Deidara shifted closer and wrapped his arms tightly around Sasori, pulling the covers tight and forming a protective cocoon around the two friends.

* * *

**My first EVER fight scene... I always try and avoid writing them, as I don't write them too good :P I know it was short, but I wanted it to be, it's just a taster :P**

**If you don't know who Gunther Van Hagens' is, he plasticises bodies and puts them on display to show how they work. He also does it using specific parts of the bodies, for example just the nervous system, of the muscles. ...I'm not explaining it very well, go look him up. He's fantastic.**

**I got this done quicker than expected... not sure when the next one will be. I still have to plan most of the chapters :P Still, at least I know where i'm going with it now :P**

**Review? Please?**


	4. What The Plasticizer!

**Ehehe.. sorry this took so long. I was being lazy...**

**Many thanks to BrandNewOrange for Beta-ing :D **

**DISCLAIMING THINGS: Don't own Naruto, unfortunately .**

**~ Cinder Toffee ~**

**~ Chapter Four ~**

**~ "What The Plasticizer? " ~**

Sasori was staring blankly into a mug of steaming coffee as Deidara hurried around the kitchen as fast as one can with a healing broken leg, making toast and bacon and eggs. He hadn't bothered making conversation, as the blows to Sasori's head had clearly left him feeling out of sorts, and the blonde had decided it was better to leave him to gather his thoughts. Humming to himself, he placed a plate full of food in front of the redhead, and felt somewhat relieved to hear a thank you. His voice sounded stronger than before, louder and more confident. Deidara sat next to his friend and watched thoughtfully as Sasori began nibbling on the corner of some toast. Clearly, the blonde didn't realise how much he was staring, as Sasori paused mid bite and gave him a meaningful look which went unnoticed. He chuckled quietly and offered a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, I feel much better."

Snapped from his trance, Deidara blushed and grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's good, un. I was worried."

"You worry too much"

Deidara merely smirked, and took a bite out of Sasori's toast.

"So" he began, speaking between mouthfuls "Are you ready to tell me what happened, un?"

"Well, there's not much to tell, really." Sasori resumed eating his toast, completely ignoring Deidara's stolen chunk. "I stupidly ran off in a random direction -"

"Because you were mad at me, yeah?" Deidara piped up, a guilty look on his face.

"No, I was mad at myself, I -"

"But why, Hm?" Deidara interrupted again."

"For gods sake brat do you want to know or not?" The redhead snapped, and Deidara fell quiet. "I was mad at myself for kissing you like that out of the blue. Then I ran off, and ran into these two morons in this alley, and they attacked me."

Deidara remained quiet, and took a sip of his coffee thoughtfully.

"You didn't recognise them?"

Sasori nearly jumped at the sudden question shattering the silence. "No, never seen them before."

Deidara sighed and stood awkwardly, picking up his plate and mug, went to walk away, but stopped.

"You don't have to be mad at yourself, un" He bent down and pecked Sasori lightly on the cheek, before turning and limping awkwardly to the sink. Sasori stared blankly down at his forgotten toast for a moment before making a snap decision. Standing rapidly, he made his way over to Deidara. Grabbing the blonde by the arm, he spun him round and pressed him firmly against the counter. Before the younger boy had a chance to protest, Sasori leaned forward and kissed him roughly. Deidara was shocked for a moment, before closing his eyes and resting a hand gently on the redheads neck, kissing him back delicately. They remained lip locked for what felt like years to the two teens, when in reality, it was only a few seconds before their tender kiss ended, and Deidara leaned forward to rest his head on Sasori's shoulders, eyes shut and a pleasant smile on his face. They stayed unmoving for a while, altogether too content with each others company to do otherwise, until the shrill ringing of Sasori's phone cut through the silence like a knife. The redhead groaned and reluctantly pulled away, digging deep in the pockets of his jeans. The blonde turned back to washing the dishes with a grin on his face that he just couldn't keep off, blushing.

"Pein? The hell do you want this early in the morning?" Sasori paused, a troubled look came over his face. "I see, we'll be right over."

"What is it, un?" Deidara called over his shoulder.

"we need to go see Pein" His friend replied, picking up his forgotten toast and stuffing it in his mouth.

"But it's so early!" the blonde whined, pouting.

"Chm ohn dahy, uhp und ahttehm!" Sasori mumbled through a mouthful of toast.

"Swallow, Sasori."

He did.

"Hm, I like it when you tell me what to do" The redhead mumbled half to himself, grinning. "I said, 'come on Dei, up and at 'em!'" He rose and took his plate over to the blonde, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Oi! Sit, bitch, un!"

Sasori frowned "Don't push your luck."

"...Sorry, un."

* * *

The morning air was chilly, and grey clouds overhead threatened rain. Deidara had never been one for mornings, and for a while had moodily limped along behind Sasori, using the wall for support. The promise of coffee however soon lifted the blondes mood, and it wasn't long before he was walking side by side with the older teen, his gloved hand holding tightly onto Sasori's. By the time they reached Pein's, Deidara had resorted back to constantly talking about trivial things whether or not anyone was listening, and as such wasn't paying attention to what Sasori was saying. Hence, he wasn't expecting Sasori to suddenly let go of him mid step and walk into the living room, and the blonde promptly fell over. Finding no-one around him, he was left to struggle to his feet by himself, before following the redhead. Hidan was sat on the couch looking worse for wear, swatting away Kakuzu's hands and repeatedly screeching "I'm fine, i'm fucking _fine_!" Itachi was sat next to him, flexing his ankle, which looked to be healed. Noticing the two stood in the doorway, he waved and indicated for them to come in. Kakuzu looked up as they did, his eyes drifting to Sasori as the blonde took a seat next to Itachi, immediately engaging in conversation. He raised an eyebrow suspiciously at Sasori's bruises and gestured at the swearing teen behind him.

"Am I to assume the same happened to you as to him?"

The redhead nodded, flopping down on the floor and crossing his legs.

"Where's Pein? I expected him to be here, in his own house."

Kakuzu almost smirked. "Still in bed. He phoned everyone then disappeared back into the depths of his lair."

Sasori looked round at a burst of laughter behind them, and guessed that Deidara had told Itachi and Hidan the same joke he'd relayed to Sasori that morning, something about ball bearings and a cat.

"Hey Babe, where's that coffee you promised me, un?" The blonde had a completely innocent look on his face, whereas Hidan – who had still been laughing quietly to himself – suddenly began to choke and almost fell off the sofa.

"BABE? Where the FUCK did that come from?"

Sasori turned as red as his hair and quickly averted his gaze to the floor.

"We'll, um... we'll go to Starbucks later..."

Somewhat oblivious, Deidara nodded happily and launched into another joke, blatantly ignoring Hidan. He stopped mid sentence, however, as he noticed Pein stood in the doorway rubbing his eye blearily, wearing nothing more than a pair of boxers, and they weren't covering much. The flame haired teen paused for a moment before shrugging.

"It's my house."

"HELLO! Scarred for fucking life here!" Hidan was waving his arms manically, eyes shut, head turned away for maximum protection. For effect, Pein took a seat. In his lap.

"Where is everyone anyway?"

"In bed, I'd presume. It is rather early." Kakuzu frowned as he answered him, eyes on Hidan.

"Well you're here aren't you?"

"No, we're all a figment of your imagination, un!" The blonde began waving his arms in what he supposed was a spooky fashion, until a glare silenced him. The door banged open, and the distinct voice of Kisame announced it had begun raining. Soaking wet, he sensibly took a seat on the floor, but then realised he had a not so great view of Pein's crotch, and moved to behind the sofa, mumbling about how his retinas would never be the same again.

"Anyway, Hidan... fuck, Sasori what happened to you?" Pein had clearly just noticed the redhead, who pointed at Hidan.

"Same thing."

"Same guy?"

He sighed, and resisted the urge to face palm "I don't know yet, obviously. And before you ask I didn't recognise them. A guy who looked like he should be in a sea life centre and an annoying girl with glasses."

"You got jumped by Suigetsu and fucking KARIN? Fucking fail Sasori. Fail."

"Oh, and I suppose your opponent was Iron Man, and you very nearly beat him, right Hidan?"

He chose this as an appropriate moment to hide behind Pein, ignoring Kakuzu's not very well disguised snort of laughter. "Kabuto."

Deidara giggled, and put on an imitation of Hidan's voice. "Fucking fail Hidan, un!"

Konan waved as she came down the stairs, and threw a pair of jeans at Pein as she passed, heading to the kitchen. Before long, coffee's were passed around and the living dead were finally (somewhat) aroused. Pein had grown quiet for a while, eyes occasionally drifting to Deidara, who'd become interested in the tank of terrapins in the corner, asking what they ate and so on, and caught sight of Sasori frantically miming not to tell him, as he'd buy one. Konan's answer to this?

"Sharks. They eat sharks...and...dictionary's." Sasori face palmed as Deidara burst out laughing. "What? It was the first thing I saw!"

Pein put his mug down and stood gracefully, the action gaining attention.

"I am not," he began "prepared to stand around and let that bastard hurt my friends. I am, however, prepared to hurt his friends -"

"If he has any!" Hidan cut in, elbowed into silence by Kakuzu.

"Yes Hidan, if he has any. However, regardless or not of whether 'Hebi' are his friends I for one am more than happy to put them at the end of the firing line. Kakuzu, I heard on the grapevine they recently acquired a new member. Find out who it is, if you would."

Kakuzu sighed and stepped around Hidan, pulling his phone from his pocket and leaving the room silently. Deidara had since limped back to the sofa and had promptly taken a seat on Sasori's lap, leaning against his chest as the redhead played with his hair. Pein sat down silently again, clearly thinking. It wasn't long before a smirk appeared on his face.

"How about we take Orochimaru's new friend for some pizza tonight?"

This was promptly answered by Kisame's manic chuckle from behind the sofa, and a somewhat creepy "I like pizza...!"

* * *

It wasn't long before Kakuzu returned to the room, frowning deeply.

"Sasuke."

There was a puzzled silence for a moment before Itachi clicked on and jumped to his feet. "There is no way in hell I am letting you attack my little brother!"

Pein held up a hand to silence him, before placing it gently on the ravens shoulder.

"Of course not. Personally, I believe Karin would be a wise choice."

"You'd hit a girl, un?"

"That shows them we're not playing around. At the end of the day, she did attack Sasori. Besides, everyone's always saying we shouldn't be sexist right?" The blonde fell quiet and grasped Sasori's hands. "There are times to be moral, Deidara, and there are times when you have to make a logical decision and stick with it. In this case, Karin is the most logical decision."

Pein gave the blonde a soft smile, before turning to Kakuzu. "Tonight at the Pizza Hut on the edge of town. Late. Make the call." Kakuzu nodded and left again, as Pein headed to the kitchen with the promise of pancakes. Deidara was staring at the floor, a dejected look on his face.

"It's just not fair, a group of guys cornering a girl, un."

"Trust me, if you met her your opinion would change." Sasori smiled and kissed the blonde on the forehead.

"Oh will you two get a fucking room already!"

Pein (appropriately dressed this time) had spent nearly two hours arguing with Hidan as to why he couldn't come. Itachi had sensibly decided that he'd better not risk it with his ankle, Deidara wanted to stay with Sasori but couldn't so moaned for a while, Konan can't fight and Tobi was in Spain. That left five. Picking Zetsu on the way, they'd left quickly, not wanting to deal with Hidan too much longer Hidan and Deidara were sat moodily in the kitchen, blatantly ignoring Konan who was talking about what film they should watch, and she had this cake and these biscuits and they could make a full sleepover out of it. The blonde had long since given up listening to the Jashinist's rants about how he was 'more than capable of fighting that bitch!' and was instead thinking of joining Itachi for some meditation in the garden. It was clear night after all, which means he'd be able to see the stars perfectly. He waited until he had a reprieve from Hidan's attention – when he was angrily telling Konan no he did not want to paint his fucking nails and she demanded he not swear in her kitchen – and slinked (okay limped) out to the garden. He quietly took a seat on the moist grass and lay back, his arms behind his head.

"Hidan getting too much for you I presume?" Itachi was sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, voice quiet.

"When is he not, un?"

The raven chuckled quietly and opened his eyes, taking in the blonde's position and lying back himself.

"I wondered when you and Sasori would get together." The blonde blushed and turned his head. "It's sweet. You make a lovely couple."

"I hope he's okay, un. He was even worse than Hidan this morning, I think he hit his head pretty hard."

"I'm sure he'll be fine. I asked Kisame to keep a close eye on him." Itachi gave the blonde a reassuring smile.

"Thanks, un." Deidara sighed and closed his eyes "It sure is nice to get some peace, hm?"

"_DEIDARA!"_

"Oh Christ..."

"Dei she wants to put make-up on me, MAKE-UP!" Hidan stomped across the grass, waving away Konan who was following with a palette of eye shadows. "Seriously, she says pinks will bring out my eyes! I mean, what the FUCK?"

Konan frowned (and Deidara was sure she growled as well) and smacked him round the head with the palette.

"Ow! I mean... what the... PLASTICIZER?"

Itachi sat up and raised and eyebrow. "Plasticizer?"

Hidan shrugged. "Gunther Von Hagens, man."

* * *

The pizza joint was closing as they pulled up quietly. Regardless, Karin was loitering in the alley round the back, calmly smoking a cigarette. Sasori was the last to leave the car, and Pein cast him a concerned look.

"I have quite a headache, maybe I shouldn't. And besides, Deidara has a point, five guys against one girl?"

Pein nodded and waved to Kisame. "Sasori isn't feeling well, stay with him?" He nodded and got back in the car, passing the redhead a bottle of water from the glove box. Pein left them to catch up with the others, noticing Karin stub out her cigarette and reach for her phone, heading down the alleyway. As they entered, they only caught a sugar coated 'Ciao!' as she hung up. As she turned to leave, she finally spotted them.

"Now, you wouldn't hit a girl with glasses would you?" She chuckled and leaned back on the wall. "Where's red?"

No answer.

"Not scared is he?"

Nothing. Angrily, she took a step forward, fists clenched. Her first wrong move was to swing a punch at Pein. The punch to her stomach sent her sprawling to the ground. Her second wrong move was not standing quick enough. Despite rolling out the way of the attacks that came at her, she didn't escape injury. As she finally stood, she tripped, and fell. That was her third wrong move. Trapped up against the bins, she found herself in the same position she had forced upon Sasori.

When they finally returned home, Sasori was somewhat surprised to find Deidara covered in make-up. He had to admit though, it didn't look too bad. The blonde frowned and pointed to Konan, who was delicately applying nail varnish on Itachi, chatting animatedly about shopping. Pein ruffled Deidara's hair as he walked past, and informed him he hadn't hit her too hard, and moments later there was a groan from the kitchen.

"Sasori, save me before she does my nails."

"I though you liked painting your nails?" Sasori grinned and poked Deidara on the nose.

"Yeah, but not CHERRY BLOSSOM PINK, un!"

**Yes, I couldn't be bothered to do the fight scene. If you want to know the joke Deidara told, message me. It's rather amusing.**

**...Yeah :P anyway my GCSE's are FINALLY done, but i'm quite lazy and like to sleep in the holidays, but I'll try and get lots done :D And yes, dictionary's were the first thing I saw! I also noticed someone got paint on them! ¬_¬ This chapter is sucky. I would like to use 'I was drunk' as an excuse, but I don't drink, so I can't .**


	5. Wrack And Ruin

**I got my GCSE results today... an A in English Literature and an A* in English Language. Chaos done good!**

**Thankyou BrandNewOrange for Beta-ing! :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing!**

**~ Cinder Toffee ~  
~ Chapter Five ~  
~ "Wrack and Ruin" ~**

Orochimaru scowled and took in the scene before him. A bandaged Karin was sat on a pile of cushions in the corner, cooing at Sasuke and trying to win his sympathy. Occasionally the girl shot a venomous glare at Suigetsu who was, quite literally, all over Sasuke. Kabuto was lying on the floor before him, lazily reading a book, trailing his finger over the page as he went. Jugo was seated quietly in the corner, and somewhere in the distance, and argument between Tayuya and Jirobo was brewing. The snake realised he was unintentionally glaring at Suigetsu, who had since attached himself to Sasuke's mouth _'Like a leech,' _he concluded.  
He frowned before standing, watching Kabuto squirm out of his way to avoid being stood on. For effect, he kicked him.  
"So, it seems the Akatsuki have risen to the challenge. Sasuke, I have a message for you to deliver."

* * *

When Deidara woke up, it was still relatively dark outside. Switching on the light, he vaguely wondered whose room he was in as he grabbed his jeans from the floor and fumbled through the pockets for his phone to check the time. 6:45 AM. What on earth could've possessed him to get up this early? Then he smelt it.  
_Breakfast.  
_Pulling on his jeans, he padded quietly across the room and out into the hallway, beginning to recognise the house as Pein's. Following his nose, he headed downstairs into the stylish kitchen to find Sasori stood at the cooker in nothing but an apron.  
"Er, you better be wearing something under that, yeah."  
Sasori smirked and flicked his hair from his eyes. "And if I'm not?"  
"I am _not_ having sex in Pein's house."  
The redhead burst out laughing and lifted the apron up to reveal his boxers. Deidara scowled slightly and gestured towards the hob. "What are you doing anyway?"  
"Skinless sausages, eggs, bacon with no fat, just how you like it. There's cranberry and pomegranate juice in the fridge and toast in the toaster."  
The blonde's face instantly brightened, and he hit his boyfriend full force with a hug. "Why are you up so early anyway, hm?" he mumbled into the redhead's chest.  
"I thought you'd want to take your time to get to school, what with your leg. Are you sure you're okay to go?"  
"Yes, un. Are you?"  
Sasori sighed and kissed the blonde gently. "I am fine."  
"If you feel ill, go to the nurse. 'Kay?"  
"I will."  
Reassured, the blonde took a seat at the breakfast bar and shamelessly kept his eyes on Sasori's ass as he buttered toast and plated up. Looking down, the blonde finally noticed his hands and frowned.  
"Er, Sasori? I don't suppose you have anything to do with why my nails are bright blue, do you?"  
Sasori grinned as he put the plates down "Konan did them while you were asleep."  
"And you let her, un?"  
Hey, at least I talked her out of bright pink! Besides, it looks good."  
Deidara snorted and stuffed a forkful of food in his face, then raised his eyebrows in surprise.  
"You need to cook for me more often, un!"  
"Good?"  
The blonde nodded vigorously, reaching for some toast.  
"Well, eat quick. They'll actually kill me if they knew I cooked without them. They have fought over my food before. It was most amusing."  
"I'm not rushing. I'll choke, un."  
"Okay, but don't blame me if - "  
"HEY SASO BITCH, IS THAT FOOD I SMELL?"  
"Well shit."

After Sasori had been bullied into cooking for the entire household, the atmosphere in the kitchen had risen to near chaotic. Konan had to break up three food fights between Kakuzu and Hidan, and one between Hidan and Kisame. Deidara being sat between the two, had disappeared under the table for safety for a while, but resurfaced once Pein began threatening them and he was sure the coast was clear. Still, he'd need a shower to get all that jam out of his hair. It didn't take long, however, before everything simmered down to a pleasant, albeit lively atmosphere, and Deidara vaguely realised he'd never felt so at home.  
It didn't last long before the welcome peace was shattered, as a well aimed rock came cascading through the window. Deidara's reactions being slow, it wasn't until after he'd been showered with glass that he dived under the table for safety, knocking Sasori over in the process. Despite feeling somewhat of an idiot, he was happy he wasn't the only one who'd taken that precaution, as Konan and Kisame had joined him, looking startled. Pein was already out of the door, and the blonde guessed, halfway down the street by now. It wasn't long before he returned, and announced whoever it was had already gone. Sasori bent down and stuck his head under the table.  
"You can come out now."  
The blonde shook his head furiously "I've been attacked too many times today! I'm gonna stay here, yeah."  
The redhead shook his head and crawled under the table with him, eyeing the red in his hair.  
"Is that blood?"  
"Nope. Jam, un."  
Sasori sighed and took the blondes hand, half dragging him from under the table. Hidan in the meantime had removed a piece of paper from around the rock, Kakuzu peering over his shoulder.  
"'Blondie's next?' And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?"  
All eyes turned to the blonde, and he glanced around uncertainly. "Are you sure I can't stay under the table?"

Sasori, Deidara and Itachi walked to school in silence. They had been accompanied by Hidan, but he'd disappeared into Starbucks and had never emerged, so they left him. Kakuzu was 'sick', so in other words, working for Pein. Pein had come to the conclusion that as Deidara lived on his own, it would be unwise for him to continue doing so, and practically demanded the blonde move in with him until the whole thing blew over. Sasori had followed suit, promising to cook breakfast – although not every morning – and decided to share Deidara's room. Although, there was the threat of the removal of his cock if he and Deidara even thought about having sex in his house.  
Deidara was visibly tense, his eyes constantly flicking over their surroundings, but with Sasori's hand in his he was reassured by the fact he wasn't alone. The redhead smiled softly and hitched his bag up on his shoulder.  
"Cheer up, you have art third!"  
"I'd rather be with you, un."  
The reminder of the age gap always depressed Deidara, but only because they couldn't share their classes.  
"Well, at least you have Itachi."  
There was silence for a moment before the blonde began to laugh, with Itachi trying to look annoyed and failing. Instead, he settled for turning his head away and trying to disguise the fact that after pushing his glasses up his nose in a violent fashion he had poked himself in the eye and was now in a sulk. Deidara saw his opportunity and jumped on the raven's back, nearly knocking him to the floor.  
"Cheer up 'Tachi-kun I'm only kidding!"  
"...Get off."

By break, Deidara had had enough of school. Having put up with maths and science first, he was officially bored out of his skull, but tried to think positive and reminded himself he had art next. He'd given up trying to tell Hidan not to shout down his ear and had moodily taken a seat in Sasori's lap, letting the redhead play with his hair as he watched some first years playing football by the main building.  
"Ah, Sasori, I need to get my sketchbook from my locker, come with, un?"  
Sasori nodded and scooped the blonde up in his arms ignoring the squeak of protest. He ignored the horrified look on Itachi's face at the idea of being left alone with the albino. Deidara gave up struggling and relaxed against his boyfriend's chest, sparking a conversation about what colour markers he needed to order and he could do with some new paintbrushes. He fell quiet and wrinkled his nose in annoyance as he reached his locker; the door had been completely caved in.  
"And how the fuck am I supposed to get in there!"  
Sasori dropped the blonde gently and slammed his fist in the door until there was a big enough ledge that he could get his hand under to force it outwards. The blonde was relieved to find his beloved sketchbook still inside, not particularly bothered if his maths books were there or not. Hugging his sketchbook to his chest, he turned to find Sasori was not behind him; instead he'd wandered down the corridor. Jogging to catch up, the pair found Sasori's locker in the same state, and opposite, Hidan's.  
"And I'm betting 'Tachi-kun's too, un," Deidara mused aloud.  
"Most likely, there's nothing really we can do about it, but we can at least let them know," Sasori replied.  
The blonde nodded and took Sasori's hand as they headed back outside, passing Naruto along the way, who was wildly waving his arms in Gaara's face and protesting against some form of algebra. He vaguely caught sight of a cousin of Sasori's, Drocell, sitting under a tree alone, absent-mindedly flicking through a book. He looked up as they passed and waved nonchalantly. Sasori ignored him. As usual, Deidara heard Hidan before he saw him, screeching about some phone call he'd received off Kakuzu. He wasn't listening as Sasori relayed the locker situation, instead flicking through his sketchbook.  
Ruined.  
_Ruined.  
RUINED.  
_Deidara was vaguely aware that he'd screamed. Sasori put his hand gently on shoulder, shaking the blonde and calling his name. He was still frantically turning the pages, but calmed down once he saw the damage only went so far. It was water damage, and it looked as though it had been poured on, so only soaked through so far. Thankfully, most of his recent (and favourite) pieces were untouched.  
"...BASTARDS!"  
Sasori almost smirked as he watched the despair in Deidara's eyes be replaced by pure fury.  
"I'll kill 'em. I'll fucking kill 'em all, un!"  
As the bell rang to signal the end of break, the blonde stood and stomped off, snatching his bag from the floor as he went, Sasori running to keep up, always walking him to his next class. Heading through the assembly hall towards the art department, Sasori found he couldn't help but notice a pattern. Bins tipped over, pieces of work ripped from the walls, in pieces all over the floors, the mural on the wall defiled by spray paint. More lockers had been smashed in and in the main art corridor the two had to pick their way through smashed remnants of clay pieces littering the floor. Most of them were Deidara's, but he was purposely avoiding looking down, still muttering furiously about his sketchbook. When he reached his classroom, Sasori pulled the blonde into a quick hug.  
"Huh. 'Art is fleeting', remember?" He teased.  
"Un."  
Downtrodden look still etched onto his face, the blonde stood on tip-toes to kiss his boyfriend on the lips before disappearing into the art room. Predictably, it was an abominable mess. The floor was hard to navigate, and at Deidara's guess possibly every tube of paint in the room had been squeezed out onto the walls. Clearly, whoever had done it had way too much time on their hands. Thankfully, Deidara looked down before he sat, otherwise his jeans would likely have been ruined by the mess of black paint on the chair.  
Taking the initiative, he sat on the table, other students following his example. As usual, Sai silently occupied the seat next to him. He shared Deidara's anger at the sketchbook, their teacher seemingly ignoring everyone's places on the table when he finally arrived. Predictably, he launched into a speech about the destroyed work and how this would affect their coursework, they'd get special consideration in the exam, blah blah blah et cetera et cetera. He was barely halfway through 'try to salvage whatever pieces you can and use them to your advantage' when a shrill ringing resounded through the building, and the blonde found himself beginning to panic.  
Despite being asleep for most of the incident in the library, fire still made him somewhat uneasy, and the idea of being trapped in another burning building was something that made him more than a little uneasy. Needless to say, he was one of the first out of the fire door and heading towards the tennis courts, desperate for some comfort from the redhead, and ignoring the irrational voice that was promoting the idea Sasori was trapped and dying somewhere. He was somewhat glad of the quiet voice in the back of his mind telling him he was being ridiculous and it was just a false alarm, the same people who trashed the place just trying to disrupt things even further. Not as glad as he was when he finally spotted the crop of crimson locks next to sleek silver hair of Hidan, waving his arms in an exaggerated fashion. Deidara hit the older boy with a hug so hard it almost sent him to the floor. The look in Sasori's eyes gave it away that he too was nervous and on the verge of panic, but he kept it together for the sake of his boyfriend and gently stroked the blonde's hair silently, eyes still on the smoke pouring from the building. Although, he wasn't expecting one of the rooms in the science department to abruptly explode, and he could only deduce someone had left the gas taps on. Either that, or someone had got a bit carried away with the chemicals. Deidara began to clutch onto Sasori's waist and laughed nervously.  
"Heh, pretty..."  
He watched the last remnants of the room crashing to the ground before burying his head in his boyfriends neck, listening to Hidan's yells about how fucking awesome it all was. It wasn't long before the fire department was on the scene and a large pack of teachers desperately trying to organise kids, despite most getting bored and wandering home. Eventually they gave up and everyone was dismissed.

Walking home, Deidara's slightly battered sketchbook was still clutched protectively to his chest, hand linked with Sasori's, completely oblivious to his surroundings. Pein and Kakuzu were waiting when they returned, already informed of the attack by Itachi. The blonde grudgingly pushed past them and sank down into the sofa, pulling the cushions over his head. Konan emerged from the kitchen and delicately raised a slim eyebrow, then turned her gaze to Sasori.  
"Hot Chocolate for him?"  
He nodded once. "Extra marshmallows, I think."

**YES IT'S FILLER-Y, BUT I'M TRYING TO GET SOME FORESHADOWING IN! (and failing!) … Okay I admit it, it SUCKED, but I promise the real stuff gets going next chapter! (and ignore the formatting, it's gone all wierd :S)**

**Can't you just imagine Itachi poking himself in the face pushing his glasses up! (I have done that before.)**

**BWAHAHA! DROCELL! I have recently developed an obsession for Kuroshitsuji, and being as Drocell is so amazing I had to slip him in somewhere! But seriously, don't you think he and Sasori are related, what with the hair and the puppets! And the gorgeous face, of course!**

**Yeah, with the school i'm going by the system at my old school (I START COLLEGE SOON!), which is two lessons, then break, another lesson then lunch, then two more lessons and we go home.**


	6. Ice Cream!

**I am SO Sorry this has taken so long, I just started my A Levels and they're biting me in the ass so updates may be a bit sparse from now on .**

**Thanks to BrandNewOrange for beta-ing!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto or Ben & Jerry's!**

**~ Cinder Toffee ~  
~ Chapter Six ~  
~ "Ice Cream!" ~**

Deidara sighed and drummed his fingers on the table. Bored. Totally, utterly bored. Not to mention alone. Itachi had gone for a meal with his family and everyone else had left him to help Konan out with the rebuilding of the library. They'd been somewhat reluctant to leave the fragile blonde alone, as he was clearly still shook up from what happened at school, but regardless, he insisted. Pein was certain he'd be safe in his house anyway. Away from the watchful eyes of their friends, Sasori gave the blonde a fierce embrace, telling him continuously not to answer the phone or the door, to stay in the house and he'd be back soon, etc. So now the blonde was sat twiddling his thumbs, long since given up on his 'Manga marathon'.

He soon found that staring into space lead to his most annoying (and frequent) craving.

Ben and Jerry's Cookie Dough ice cream.

Thundering down the stairs and jumping the last few, he was disappointed to find the freezer completely devoid of any ice cream. Not even a cheap, down-the-road shop brand. No ice pops, no tubs, nothing. Annoyed, he ran his hand through his thick locks and sighed. Still – he flicked his eyes towards the living room – he did have his wallet. Who cares if he was told not to leave, since when did other people tell him what to do? He grabbed his jacket as he headed out, heading towards the centre of town, eyes flicking to the sky as he walked.

He admitted one of his biggest problems was not paying attention when he really, really should be. If he had been paying attention, he probably would've noticed the man emerge from the shadows; as such, he didn't see him until his fist was about the collide with the back of his head, and as he slumped to the pavement, he wished he had listened to Sasori.

* * *

When Deidara came to, the first thing that he noticed was his lack of sight. His eyes were open, so he assumed a blindfold. Trying to move his hands, he found they were bound behind his back, and as he slowly became more aware he came to the conclusion he was tied to a chair.

"Awake, huh?"

He nearly flinched as a hand stroked his face slowly – the voice was unfamiliar. "Akatsuki really need to learn their place." The hand left his face for a moment before slamming back in the form of a fist. He was vaguely thankful for the gag in his mouth, he wouldn't have wanted to cry out. He heard a door slam in the background, and assumed he'd been left alone.

He could've cried.

* * *

Sasori rubbed his tired eyes as he waited on the doorstep for Pein to unlock the door. It was dropping dark, but at least they'd got some work done. It was quiet when they got in, they presumed Deidara was upstairs, but when Sasori barged into their room, he found it deserted. He knocked on the bathroom door but received no answer, and instead headed downstairs calling his name.

"Something wrong?" Pein's voice echoed from the kitchen.

"Is Deidara down there?"

Pein's peered round the door frame, coffee in hand. Shaking his head, he nodded towards the back door. "Is he in the garden? He does like watching the sunset."

_'I'll make a note of that'_ Sasori thought as he flung open the door, but the spacious garden was empty.

"Nothing."

"Well he has to be here somewhere." Pein muttered exasperatedly, somewhat sarcastic. "Unless he went out."

"We locked the door." The redhead rolled his eyes.

"He does have a key you know." The flame haired teen sipped his coffee and began rifling through the mail on the side. "Oh look, my aunt in Cyprus finally wrote to me. That's nice."

"Ugh, never mind that." Sasori had his phone out, scrolling through his contacts for his boyfriend's number. Ringing it twice, he received no answer. "He always answers his phone."

"Sasori, Chill. He probably has no signal. Or maybe..." He leaned forward and raised his eyebrows suggestively "Maaaybe, he's with a special _friend._"

Sasori ignored him. The light had completely disappeared outside, and the idea of Deidara wandering around in the dark was not a pleasing one. Although, he was sure that in a moment the blonde would burst through the door with some insane story about how he ran into Naruto and the two of them went for coffee and got talking and then Gaara showed up and he hung around for a bit but the two of them wanted some time alone so he left. That was usually how it went. Either that or he'd found a new reading hole.

"Sasori, seriously. Just go to bed. You look exhausted. He'll be back soon. Just don't be too mad at him, he does have a life you know." Pein waved him out of the kitchen and he trudged up the stairs, muttering to himself.

"Sure, he has a life, but who cares if his boyfriend's worrying or not."

Stripping down and falling heavily into the (shared) bed, he almost immediately fell asleep.

* * *

Woken by the annoying wood pigeon outside the window, Sasori curled in on himself, clawing at the bed next to him for the warmth of his boyfriend. Finding nothing, he sat up and rubbed his eyes blearily. He was alone. Half asleep, he at least had the sense to pull on some jeans before heading downstairs. Pein was sat with Konan in the kitchen, listening quietly to the blunette talking his ears off about the new library. There was no-one else there. Pein looked up as he entered and calmly pushed a plate laden with toast towards the disgruntled redhead.

"He back yet?"

They both shook their heads.

"Well, what's your genius plan, oh mighty Pein?" Sasori muttered sarcastically, stuffing a slice of near cremated bread unceremoniously into his mouth, nearly missing.

"Well, we aint calling the police that's for sure." Sasori opened his mouth to protest, but the older boy held up his hand. "Think, oh half asleep one, is getting them involved such a good idea? There are certain things I wouldn't want uncovered."

Sasori fell quiet, thought, and agreed.

"Besides, I have a suspicion, and if I am correct involving them really isn't such a good idea."

Sasori waved his hand in a regal fashion. "Care to elaborate?"

Pein made a temple of his fingers and leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Think about it, Sasori. Orochimaru shows up, the three of you end up in hospital, you and Hidan are attacked, we get that little message through the window, can you see where I'm going with this? This is something we need to take care of ourselves."

"When you say take care of, I presume you mean kick the shit out of? 'Cause that's what I mean." The redhead's lips twitched into a sinister smirk.

"Yes yes you'll get your chance." He waved him off as he returned to his breakfast "For now, I'll have Kakuzu and Itachi do some digging. If anyone can find him, it's them."

Sasori frowned and left the room, heading back towards the bedroom. He reached into his pocket for his phone, but found it missing, and it was only them he realised they weren't his jeans. He ran his hand fondly over the fabric for a moment, they were the blonde's favourite grey skinny fits. Noticing hot tears sliding down his face, he wiped them away, embarrassed. Sasori wasn't ready to admit he was in love with the blonde. He knew it, and he was sure others knew it too, but he didn't want to say it. After the death of his parents, Sasori had become convinced that everyone he loved was destined to die, and he wasn't about to curse his blonde either. He knew it was stupid and it wasn't true, but still found himself believing it, promising himself everyday he wasn't going to lose anyone else.

Sasori realised he'd stopped in the middle of the landing, and quickly darted into the room, slamming the door behind him. He cursed himself for his emotions sometimes. Finding his jeans strewn across the back of the chair, he dug his phone from the bottom of the pocket and angrily punched in the number.

"_Hello?"_

"Kabuto."

"_Ah, Sasori."_ He could practically hear the grin. _"I was expecting you'd call."_

"Where is he?" Sasori like to keep his conversations with Kabuto short and sweet.

"_Be specific."_

"Deidara."

"_Can't say." _He was somewhat satisfied to note the silver haired teens tone had become serious.

"Kakuzu and Itachi are looking. Help them."

"_Right."_

"I will have him back. Mark my words."

Sasori snapped the phone shut and dropped it loudly onto the desk. His homework was overflowing onto the floor, mixed in with the blondes humanities coursework, not that it mattered any more. The room was a tip, Deidara was always bugging him to clean it. Silently, he began.

* * *

Kabuto had taken his usual place in the corner, quietly watching their prisoner. At a guess, a few bones were definitely broken, and the fragile creature was no doubt in serious pain. Nevertheless, Kabuto admired him, for he remained strong the entire time, barely even flinching. Having been on the wrong end of Orochimaru's fists many times himself, Kabuto understood how difficult it could be. Even Sasuke flinched as other blow connected with the blondes jaw. No-one dared tell him to stop, despite Orochimaru's instructions to the trainee doctor to stop him if he was going to far. They wanted the blonde alive after all. Suigetsu turned his head as they heard another rib crack. Yet, not a sound escaped the blonde's lips, the gag been removed. The snake had mockingly said he wanted to hear the blonde scream. Kabuto vaguely wondered if the blonde was still concious. With the next blow, however, there was a barely audible squeak, and the blonde twitched. The smug smile on Orochimaru's face almost made him sick. Although, not as sick as the sight of the snake slowly unbuttoning his pants, with the order to leave. The other's complied quickly, but Kabuto stood firm.

"I think he's had enough for today, Orochimaru-sama, he's barely concious and I don't know enough to treat him if he's hurt severely."

Orochimaru growled and re-buttoned his pants quickly. "Fine. Fix him up. I want him to last longer tomorrow."

Kabuto nodded as the elder stalked past him, throwing the gag at him and slamming the door. He waited for a few moments before hurrying to the blonde. Gently pressing his hands to the blonde's chest, he determined three ribs had cracked and one had broken. Deidara cried out as he touched him, recognising the gentle - albeit painful - touches meant the snake was long gone. He shushed him quietly, reaching up to stroke his face comfortingly. It looked as if his nose had broken too, but amazingly, not his jaw. The blonde began hiccuping with tears, Kabuto tying the gag carefully.

"Don't worry, Sasori's coming. Not now, but he will."

He stood gracefully, not wanting to linger too long. "I'll ask him to lay off for a day or two. You're hurt too badly." Guilt weighing on his mind, he left the blonde to cry, alone.

* * *

Sasori sighed as he stood and looked at his handiwork. The room was spotless. The task had taken his mind off the situation for a while, and he was pleased to know Deidara was going to be comfortable when he came home. Itachi and Kakuzu had come and gone that morning. Itachi had been less than impressed with the situation, whereas Kakuzu's face had remained as impassive as always. Regardless, they'd both promised him they'd do their all to get Deidara back. It had been a few hours since they'd heard anything, but he kept reminding himself they weren't miracle workers. He'd tried to sneak out a few times himself, but Pein had forbidden him from leaving the house, and he had been continuously sent back to his cleaning. He was partially glad of this, though, as he wanted the place to be clean. Now he was wandering aimlessly around the landing, occasionally stopping to peer out of the window. He headed downstairs and stood in front of the large bay window, staring blankly out at the sunset.

He was there all night.

**Gah, I hated writing that . Poor Dei . Kabuto was hard to write too. I wanted him to still be a bastard but be a little bit nice too. I think I failed.**

**It doesn't matter where we go in the world, there is always a wood pigeon outside my mums room to wake her up. Except in Turkey. There, we had Cicadas. .**


	7. In My Arms

**Sorry it's been a while!**

**Thanks to BrandNewOrange for beta-ing! :D**

**~ Cinder Toffee ~  
~ Chapter Seven ~  
~ "In My Arms" ~**

"Sit down, Sasori!"

The redhead ignored the voice and continued his grand tour of the kitchen, pacing restlessly back and forth, eyes on the floor. He was still wearing the blonde's jeans, hands stuffed deep in the pockets, his boyfriend's favourite red desert scarf swathed around his neck. Occasionally he'd bury his face in it, taking in the blonde's scent. He'd turned down Pein's offer of breakfast with a simple shake of the head and had taken to pacing round the kitchen, ignoring the group lazing round the table. He didn't have time for their callous attitude. Nearly everyone was present, digging greedily into Konan's home cooked food, second only to Sasori's. There was still no word from Kakuzu and Itachi, and quite frankly it was driving the sculptor _insane_. But of course, when would it not?

He gave up with his pacing at Hidan's hand gently on his arm, guiding him to a seat. He heard the Jashinist mutter something about how he had to eat as Deidara wouldn't want him to get ill, and was vaguely aware of a plate of pancakes waved in front of his nose. He picked up the fork without thinking and ate slowly, staring blankly at the wall opposite. He jumped when he heard the door bang shut, and stood up swiftly as he saw Itachi enter the kitchen, knocking his chair to the ground. The raven haired teen raised a hand and indicated the redhead back into his chair. The Uchiha took the chair next to him and smiled reassuringly, taking out a small folded piece of paper.

"We managed to track down some locations that that snake's been using."

There was a silence for a moment as Itachi paused to push up his glasses and brush his bangs from his eyes.

"There's an old shack on the east edge of town, falling down a bit so I imagine that's not used anymore. On the west side there's that old train station they stopped using back in the fifties, there's a lot of stuff stored over there so i'm guessing that's its primary function. That boarded up cinema 'round the back of the Queen's Head pub, his kind of location. And there's also one of the warehouses in the industrial park. As far as we know, there's no more."

Sasori made a temple of his fingers and cast his eyes downwards. Those weren't exactly the most reputable locations, either in the middle of nowhere or round the back of dodgy pubs. The chances of the blonde being unharmed were low, but, he was trying not to think about that.

"Where is Kakuzu?" Pein inquired, mouth full of toast.

"Oh, he's gone out to the shack," Itachi replied nonchalantly, reaching for the fresh stack of pancakes plonked in front of him.

Hidan choked a little on his coffee and raised his slender silver eyebrows. "He went alone?"

"Oh, I went down with him." Itachi was squeezing lavish amounts of syrup on his pancakes, sweetly smiling a thank you at Konan. "We checked out the station early this morning, hence why we knew it was just used for storage. We went down to the shack and he insisted I return to let you know what was going on. Knew Sasori here would be going out of his mind. We're going to check out the cinema later."

"Well at least take Hidan with you, that's a nasty area."

Sasori raised his head and looked around for the first time that morning. "Me too."

"You need to stay here, Sasori," Konan laid a delicate hand on his shoulder and smiled softly, "you're not really in any state to go anywhere."

"But -"

"You're a mess, Sasori. You're staying here." Her voice became firm, but still caring. She looked him in the eye for a moment before crossing to the fridge to fetch him a glass of water. He sipped it slowly, slipping back into his practically comatose state, eyes fixed on the wall again. Itachi rose gracefully as his phone rung loudly, some form of energetic J-rock blasting round the kitchen. He headed into the hallway and flipped his phone open, holding it delicately by his ear with two fingers.

"_The shack's empty." _Kakuzu's voice rang out before he had chance to speak . _"I've turned the place upside down and there's nothing. I'll meet you at the cinema at twelve. Better bring a bat or something."_

Kakuzu abruptly hung up as the raven opened his mouth to reply, causing him to sigh irritably. He headed back to the kitchen and smiled reassuringly at a spaced out Sasori, who blinked lazily in return. He discreetly shook his head at Pein and returned to his pancakes.

* * *

Hidan and Itachi joined Kakuzu at the cinema at midday. Thankfully the pub was quiet, the usual stream of alcoholics either just getting started or at a new haunt. Persuading Sasori to remain home had been easier than they'd expected. He'd nodded numbly when they suggested he go watch TV to take his mind of things and had collapsed dejectedly onto the sofa just before they'd left. Kisame had been trying to prompt him into playing some video game but he didn't look interested, staring at the TV. The cinema didn't look too promising, but then again, for Orochimaru it was exactly the kind of place he'd thrive in. The windows were boarded up, the letters of the name had fallen off and the place looked to be ridden with dust. Thankfully, the door was still in place, but didn't look too difficult to get in.

Itachi was clutching a baseball bat loosely in a gloved hand, whilst Hidan had a knife concealed in the front pocket of his hoodie. They were expecting trouble. Kakuzu had his face hidden behind a bandanna, hood pulled up over his mess of hair. Hidan had been nominated to get the door open, and had taken to working on the lock, not wanting to resort to breaking in. Not that they weren't breaking in. He just didn't want to physically break the door down. That was _their _definition of breaking in. Eventually the lock gave way and the three slipped inside, picking their way through litter strewn hallways, digging around in corners, behind screens and under seats. The ground floor revealed nothing of interest so they made their way upstairs, stepping lightly as it appeared as though the floor could give way at any moment. There was barely anything upstairs so they split to check the projection rooms. Kakuzu took the first on the left and was glad he'd brought a torch. At first glance all the room revealed was a large population of spiders, but upon further inspection, it was clear the dust had been disturbed on the desk. Crossing the room swiftly and flicking through the stack of papers, he was surprised and relieved to find some recent ones, and his eyes widened slightly as he read the contents. He quickly headed over to the door opposite to find Itachi rifling through a cupboard and waved the papers in the air for a moment.

"It's not perfectly written but the nub and gist of it leads to the library and the school."

"...You want to try beginning that conversation in a way that makes a little more sense?" Itachi's voice echoed from inside the cupboard.

"I have found some scribbled plans that partially make sense, and they talk about burning the library and the school, as well as some clubs and bars." Kakuzu spoke slowly, nodding over elaborately. Itachi withdrew from the cupboard and frowned, despite the fact his glasses were perched precariously on the end of his nose, and he couldn't actually see where he was glaring.

"Don't take the piss."

There was a loud clattering followed by a colourful string of curses from the next room that could only lead them to believe Hidan was unintentionally breaking things.

Kakuzu sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose "Let's go collect the idiot and get out of here."

They didn't need to, as Hidan came to them.

"Rooms fucking empty, let's go."

Itachi smirked. "You mean you broke everything?"

Hidan blushed and pulled his beanie further down onto his head. "I did not break it, it fucking attacked me and I defended myself, thanks for your fucking concern!"

If ever there was a time for an invisible facepalm, that was it. It was raining when they headed back outside, one lone drunk staggering down the alley. Hidan was sulking inside his hat, a frown deeply set on his glum face, whereas Itachi was contemplating getting windscreen wipers for his glasses, as the downpour was making it difficult to see. They'd decided they'd head back to Pein's for the afternoon and tackle the warehouse in the evening when less people would be there. And besides, there was a chance the rain may stop if they did. After all, it's difficult to look menacing and serious when you're carrying an umbrella, never mind an umbrella that's being blown everywhere in the wind. Mind you, it's hard to look menacing and serious when you're soaked to the bone. Then you just look like a drowned kitten. Or weasel. There was silence between the three as they trudged back, angrily kicking their way through puddles, jeans soaking up a small reservoir as they went. When they returned home, the first welcome they received was an irritated Konan insisting they removed their shoes so as not to dirty the carpets. Sasori, thankfully, was in a better mood and thoroughly distracted. When they entered the living room he was bugging Kisame on how to get a fishing rod or something, engrossed in his DS. He looked up when they entered, staring at them anxiously.

"Nothing so far, just proof he burned the school and library. Kind of."

There was a dejected nod in return as the redhead wordlessly returned to his video game.

* * *

The rain relentlessly continued throughout most of the day, and it was in the evening with the light fading delicately when it finally gave up. This however was the unofficial signal for the Akatsuki to spring to action. Sasori had once again had his heart set on joining the three headed to the warehouse, appearing in the hallway dressed in black with a determined look on his face. He'd been rejected again though and had taken to sulking in the kitchen with a hot chocolate. Kakuzu was eyeing the sky sceptically, insisting it was going to rain again and he'd got wet enough for one day. Itachi had quietly told him to grow up; it was only water. It was coming up to nine o'clock when the three finally slunk off into the night with their heads down. The rain may be holding up but the wind certainly wasn't – Itachi looked almost smug he'd had the sense to wrap himself in a hefty trench coat before leaving.

It was quite a trek over to the warehouse, it being on the complete opposite side of town to Pein's house, and by the time they had the industrial park in their sights, they'd had enough of Hidan's moaning to last a lifetime. Thankfully the entire place was empty, and the gates were easy enough to navigate round. Warehouse eight was more difficult to find in the dark, however, and it ended up being the fifth one they circumnavigated. The door was unlocked. They weren't sure if this was a good or bad sign.

It turned out to be very bad.

One of the first rooms they came across was occupied by Orochimaru and pretty much all of his loyal dogs. And with so many people in one room it wasn't really a surprise they didn't go unnoticed. Kabuto glanced at them blankly before discreetly motioning down a hallway to their left and held up five fingers. He then turned to Orochimaru and proceeded to talk loudly, pulling out his phone and attempting to gather everyone round him. Thankfully, their presence went unnoticed with the rest of the group.

Sensibly taking their chance, and wasting no time, the three headed down the corridor almost silently.

"I don't get it!" Hidan hissed, tugging on Kakuzu's sleeve "Five what"?

"Five minutes maybe?" He shrugged himself out of Hidan's grip.

Itachi's voice came from behind them "Try the fifth door."

The fifth door on the right proved to be completely empty, not even a cobweb seeking refuge in a dimly lit corner. The fifth on the left was looked. Hidan took it as a good sign and took to working on the lock. It was a cheap thing and gave in easily. Itachi went in first, knife in hand, his heart in his mouth.

The knife ended up coming in handy, but not in the way he expected.

Part of him was actually surprised to find Deidara in there, and part of him relieved. The blonde was unconscious, blindfolded and gagged, hands bound before his back. Itachi made short work of the rope and carefully slipped the cloth from around his eyes. Kakuzu and Hidan had stayed lingering in the doorway, but Kakuzu made his way over and began gently checking the blonde over.

"I should be able to treat him. If not, my father can, no problem."

Itachi nodded once, removing his coat and wrapping it tightly around the blonde's delicate frame. He didn't need to be told to be careful.

They made a swift exit, not even stopping to see if Kabuto was doing a sufficient job of distracting the snake or not. Thankfully, the wind seemed to have died down, but the three were running too fast to notice. Itachi came to screeching stop when he noticed Deidara's eyes fluttering open, and he promptly took a seat on the nearest bench, the blonde lain carefully across his lap. He could only assume Deidara was too tired to panic, as he seemed strangely at ease with his surroundings. He looked around slowly, before finally settling his gaze on Itachi. The raven haired boy watched a flicked of hope spark in the younger boy's eyes, and the corners of his mouth twitched lazily upwards. Itachi gave him a reassuring smile as the blonde grabbed onto his shirt tightly. Gracefully, he stood and followed the other two, who had stopped a short while ahead, Hidan leaning against a tree to catch his breath. Kakuzu gave him a concerned look as he approached, but noticed the blonde's fist clutching at the fabric and smiled to himself.

* * *

Deidara had passed out again on the way home, so missed Sasori's sudden burst of affection when they walked through the door. Kakuzu had insisted on being left alone while he treated the blonde, and kept the redhead waiting for precisely forty eight minutes. He proudly informed him, when he did emerge, that he wouldn't be needing his father's expert medical knowledge, and the blonde would be fine. He sauntered to the top of the stairs and _then _called over his shoulder that the blonde was awake. Sasori gingerly nudged open the door and was relieved to see Deidara smiling softly back at him. The white bandages were an unwanted contrast on the blonde's tanned skin, but at least he seemed to be doing okay.

"You cleaned," he spoke softly once Sasori had taken a seat, perched precariously on the edge of the bed. "And you're wearing my scarf!"

The redhead grinned and started playing with the fabric, one hand clutching desperately at the blonde's.

"It smells like you. When I closed my eyes, it was like you were there with me. ...I was so worried."

The blonde apologised awkwardly, and Sasori looked momentarily appalled.

"Don't you _dare _apologise! If anyone should be apologising it's me. I should have been there to protect you."

Deidara scoffed and waved him off with his free hand. The redhead took the hint and dropped the subject.

"So are you gonna get in bed with me or not, hm?"

The blonde had a totally innocent look on his face. Sasori couldn't help but grin a little awkwardly as he slipped under the duvet, his boyfriend wrapping his arms tightly around his waist.

"You know, un, you should clean our room more often." Deidara had a lazy smile on his face as he carefully unwound his scarf from Sasori's neck, draping it around his own shoulders.

Sasori shook his head, burying it in the blonde's shoulders, gently resting his hands on his waist.

"Just go to sleep, Dei."

His words were wasted, the blonde had already drifted off.

* * *

**Sasori was playing Harvest Moon. I love Harvest Moon. Islands of Happiness is my favourite ^_^**

**And yes, the rescue was anti climatic, but it was supposed to be! Bear with me!**


	8. I See You Smiling

**GACK! I'm sorry I know it's been AGES but I have had SOO much work to do for college. I'll make it up to you. I promise.**

**Many thanks to BrandNewOrange for beta-ing!**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Naruto.**

**~ Cinder Toffee ~  
~ Chapter Eight ~  
~ "I See You Smiling" ~**

Deidara was in a sulk. He was still in bed on orders to rest while everyone remained in the kitchen, talking very loudly about things which he was sure concerned him. He was hoping that eventually, Hidan would get irate and begin to shout, but unfortunately all he ever yelled were inappropriate words. He was glad of the company he got when Sasori would periodically come up the stairs with mugs of tea or toast or the random need for a comforting hug. He had managed to wheedle out of Sasori that Orochimaru wasn't in the best of moods since the blonde had escaped – with help, of course – from his clutches and was taking his anger out on everyone. Thankfully for them, Kabuto remained loyally at his side, and was sure to prove a bottomless source of information. Nevertheless, Deidara was still unsure of him, and pulled a sour face if his name was mentioned. Sasori was always on hand to change the subject though, and both distracted and cheered up his boyfriend. This usually involved some form of food, usually curry, or something with noodles. Konan had made him some flowers too, which now stood proudly on his desk amongst the ones brought by Sasori, who didn't want to be outdone.

The blonde had been in a good mood that morning due to Sasori's extensive amounts of attention – breakfast in bed and the delivery of a new book to keep him occupied – but after conversation had resumed in the kitchen, his mood had darkened. He'd tried to keep reading to distract himself, but it became difficult, and he'd snapped it shut with a huff. After drumming his fingers for a few minutes he'd decided to limp downstairs defiantly, Pein's dressing gown wrapped around him tightly. Sasori gave him a disapproving but caring look, whereas Hidan clapped him on the back and announced he looked a lot better. Deidara's response was to swipe his toast when he wasn't looking.

"So," Deidara's voice was quiet as he took a seat by Sasori, grabbing his hand as he sat, "are you going to tell me what I've missed while you've been leaving me out of your conversation?"

"We have not been leaving you out!" Pein sounded exasperated, he had the feeling Sasori had been bugging Pein on this already. "We weren't talking about anything important, anyway. Just a general bitch fest. I'm sure you and lover boy have been doing the same."

"Anyway, you should know by now that when Pein schemes, he does it alone." Hidan commented from by the toaster, re-making his breakfast.

"So you _have _been scheming, un?"

"Yes. No. What's correct?" Pein had changed his answer hurriedly at a glance from Konan. His answer clearly wasn't sufficient, as she 'accidently' whacked him about the head with her book. Deidara sighed and turned to leave the room.

"Fine, don't include me. I mean, after all, I have no right to know what's occurring with the man who kidnapped me or anything. Have fun,"

The blonde took another slice of Hidan's freshly made toast and slowly padded up the stairs, aware that Sasori was following. Surprisingly, he didn't say anything, just took the blonde's hand and led him back to the bedroom, sitting wordlessly on the bed and pulling Deidara into his lap.

"He's just stressed," Sasori spoke eventually. "He doesn't know what to do. No-one does."

"Well that's reassuring," Deidara rolled his eyes and folded his arms in a huff. Sasori leaned over his shoulder and took a generous bite out of the toast still clutched in his hand.

"It's going cold, Dei,"

"I'm sure Hidan will make more, yeah," The blonde muttered sarcastically, taking an over exaggerated bite. Sasori frowned and leaned forward, nipping Deidara lightly on the ear.

"Snap out of it Dei. I know you're stressed but we all are, you can't take it out on others. And you can't keep forcing Hidan to make you toast," He put his chin on the blonde's shoulder and took another bite of the toast that was offered to him. He almost jumped as the shrill ringing of the phone downstairs cut through the air. It rang three times before Pein answered it, his voice carrying up the stairs.

"Will you make me toast?" Deidara mumbled quietly, turning his head towards Sasori's.

"Why can't you do it yourself?"

"Last time I nearly set the kitchen on fire, un. Pein's toaster doesn't like me," He admitted sheepishly.

Sasori raised and eyebrow. "You told me that was Hidan. I've been watching him like a hawk,"

"I lied,"

"Well that's obvious, isn't it?"

He jumped again at the sound of Pein slamming down the receiver. Apparently whoever was on the other end was not someone he was fond of. They could hear him stomping down the hall and back into the kitchen, swearing just as much as , if not more than, Hidan.

"I suppose we should go see what's occurring," Sasori sighed a little as he pushed Deidara off his lap. "It could be amusing,"

Deidara stuffed the last of his toast in his mouth as they made their way downstairs. Pein was sat at the kitchen table, mumbling angrily to himself and drumming his fingers on the table. Deidara tentatively took a seat next to him and stilled his hand.

"Dare I ask?"

"Orochimaru. How the fuck he got my number I don't know." He ignored Konan's raised eyebrow a his choice of language. "He wants to meet up and 'talk', all of us, and him, Suigetsu, Karin, Kabuto... and Sasuke." He added the last name a little hesitantly, noticing Itachi's frown.

"So basically," Deidara stroked his chin as if in deep thought. "He wants to lure us out in the open and has the deluded idea we'll be completely oblivious to his true intentions, and actually believes he can kick the shit out of us?"

"Spoken like a true Akatsuki member," Pein petted the blonde's hair fondly.

"And I'm presuming the plan is to go out there, pretend to be oblivious to his true intentions and then kick the shit out of him?" Kakuzu had a rare smile on his face.

"Exactly! You see, this is why I like you guys!" Pein appeared to have cheered up considerably.

"Heh, not because of our stunning good looks or unique personalities then?"

Sasori looked at Deidara's mischievous grin and scowled. "You're not coming. You're still recovering,"

Deidara glowered over at him and folded his arms, "I appreciate that you care, but you're not leaving me here."

"Oh Sasori, give the poor kid a break! He has the right to kick his ass!" Kisame had a defiant look on his face, but was still being cautious. Stirring Sasori's temper wasn't a good idea. Today however, was different. Sasori merely sighed and bit his lip awkwardly; he could see where this was going. Deidara gave him a soft smile and gently wrapped his arms around the redhead, burying his face in the crook of his boyfriend's neck.

"I _can _handle myself, yeah. Those bastards got me once, but they sure as hell wont get me twice,"

Sasori looked down at him for a moment and returned his smile, and once more the two left the room. The was an almost stunned silence for a moment before Itachi spoke.

"Wow. That blonde really has changed him..."

* * *

The 'agreement' between Pein and Orochimaru that Pein hadn't really agreed to was to meet up in four days. After the second, Deidara was back to his usual pace of running around the house unhindered. This usually resulted in Sasori snapping at him not to run lest he fall down the stairs and _die._ Deidara would've snapped back, but he knew the redhead was only yelling because he was worried, anxious, nervous, stressed, and above all, sleep deprived. Lately, Hidan was usually found in the back yard attempting to use Itachi as a punch bag and losing. Kisame – to Deidara's surprise – was often swinging a giant _sword _around in the garage, trying not to break anything. When asked why he was training inside, he said advertising to the world you had such a sword wasn't such a good idea. Feeling left out, Deidara tracked down Sasori and insisted they train together so the redhead could let off some steam. At first, he'd gone easy on the blonde, but when he found himself flat on his back after five minutes, that soon stopped. Nevertheless, Deidara felt left out not having some form of weapon, so he was thrilled when Sasori presented him with a Katana and the instruction to "for the love of _fuck_ be careful with it!" He subsequently joined Kisame in the garage trying not to break things. In the long run, he broke less things than Kisame, but needless to say Pein was more than a little relieved when they decided to call it a day. Sasori was lay on his stomach, head in a book when Deidara returned to their room much later than usual.

"What have you been doing?" The redhead didn't look up; he was pissed.

Deidara crossed the room confidently and kissed him softly on the back of his head.

"Practising kicking ass. I'm getting good,"

"What's the damage." A smile on his face. A good sign.

"Pfft, Kisame broke more than me, and he's been using a sword longer, yeah," The blonde had a proud smile on his face.

"You know, being good with a sword isn't _exactly _something to be proud of." Still didn't look up. Deidara's smile fell. Although the redhead was smiling, the fact he refused to meet Deidara's eye was sending him bad signals. He quietly left the room, but returned defiantly five minutes later with a punnet of strawberries and a bowl of melted chocolate. He waved the strawberries temptingly under Sasori's nose.

"Cheer up, or i'm spending the night with Hidan,"

Sasori finally looked up and gave the blonde a soft smile.

"I accept your chocolate smothered apology,"

"...What should I be apologising for?"

Sasori paused to dip a strawberry in the chocolate and took a thoughtful bite. "For getting involved in this and making me worry. For pushing yourself when you should be recovering. For being a risk to every living and most non living things by swinging around a Katana,"

"You gave it to me... but, I am sorry."

"...I think_ I_ should be sorry." Sasori took another strawberry and licked the chocolate off his fingers. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even be involved,"

"Okay, so we both messed up," Deidara dipped a finger in the chocolate and wiped it on Sasori's nose. He growled and slapped a handful on the blonde's cheek. The blonde smirked, took a strawberry and used it to wipe the chocolate from his face, then placed it teasingly in Sasori's open mouth. As he swallowed, the smile gracing his face again, Deidara leant down to lick the chocolate from his nose. The redhead scoffed and shoved him away; the blonde almost fell off the bed.

"That's the last time I try and cheer you up!"

Sasori snorted. "Sexually harassing me isn't exactly an appropriate method,"

"Well, I thought you'd enjoy it, yeah," The blonde heaved himself from the floor and settled back on the bed.

"So, what time tomorrow?" Deidara seemed suddenly anxious. Sasori took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"Around sunset, I believe."

"...for the record, I can't see in the dark,"

"Just do what you did with Kisame. Swing the sword around wildly. Considering the amount of things broken, I'm sure you'll hit something."

"Very funny, jackass," Deidara turned his back on the redhead and dipped a strawberry lazily in the forgotten chocolate. Sasori rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around the blondes waist, nuzzling his face into his neck. He lay there for a moment, something building up inside him, the urge to say something. He paused. Thought. Could he do it?

"Deidara?"

"Hm?"

He opened his mouth like a fish for a few seconds, then sighed and bit his tongue. He couldn't do it.

"Sasori?"

"...try not to die." He silently promised himself that one day, he _would _tell him.

Deidara turned over and kissed him softly.

"I won't if you won't."

* * *

**I am SO sorry this took so long! I would've had it done over the Christmas holidays but I got SO MUCH HOMEWORK! . That, and the day when I had time to really get some done, I got horribly distracted by Junjou Romantica, i'm sorry. It's good though, I advise everyone to watch it. Sasori's VA is in it. And he's uke! :D**

**I'm not sure when chapter nine will be out, it's gonna be a bit awkward to write . SO sorry!**

**...God, I really am so sorry... I feel really bad :P**


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